Articles in category: Education

Springfield College kicked off its homecoming weekend festivities Friday afternoon with a ceremonial groundbreaking for its $19 million learning commons project. The learning commons is a complete rehabilitation of Springfield College's Babson Library, a 57,000-square-foot building that opened in 1972, according to the college. The new building will include a 6,000-square-foot reading room with 24-hour access for students, 1,200 square feet of adaptable work space for group projects, classes, presentations and brainstorming sessions, a research consultation area, cafe and a 5,300-square-foot academic success center

A new linkage agreement between Elms College and Western New England College of Pharmacy will make it easier for Elms students to forge a career in pharmacy. Elms College’s Janet Williams, professor of Biology, and WNE College of Pharmacy’s Evan Robinson, dean and associate provost for Academic Affairs, formalized the link between the two colleges by signing the agreement on the Elms campus. Going forward, qualified Elms students will be guaranteed admission interviews for WNE College of Pharmacy.

The College of Our Lady of the Elms has registered with Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) to provide new financial-planning education in both master’s and graduate certificate programs. Thanks to this new partnership, Elms College now offers an MBA degree with a concentration in certified financial planning, an master of science degree in accounting and financial planning, and a graduate certificate in financial planning. These offerings are all CFP Board registered. “We are enthusiastic and proud to represent these new educational opportunities at Elms College,” said Amanda Garcia, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership ...

A microbiologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has been awarded $2.5 million in the form of two grants from the U.S. Department of Energy that will go towards researching how soil microbes contribute to global warming. Kristen DeAngelis will lead a team of other researchers to investigate how soil--which is the largest repository for carbon in the natural world--may disperse carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, thus feeding global warming. "Our results could lead to new ideas for curbing the effects of climate change, and one of the implications of this research could be remediating soil to improve ...

If you have aspirations making it to Quantico — not the show — then you should probably make your way to Westfield State University on Wednesday. The FBI is looking to fill hundreds of spots and wants to recruit college graduates nationwide interested in exploring what the agency has to offer. The agency's Boston Division will be at the College Career Centers of Western Massachusetts Career Fair at Westfield State from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Representatives will provide information on the different career options offered at the agency

Westfield State University will host its annual College Career Centers of Western Massachusetts Government, Criminal Justice and Non-profit Career Fair Oct. 12 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Woodward Center. More than 85 federal, state and local law enforcement and non-profit agencies will be on hand to discuss and review career and employment information.

Springfield Technical Community College announced it would be receiving a $300,000 federal grant to bolster college programming and campus security specifically aimed at stemming violence against women. "The grant awarded to STCC will be used to enhance victim services, implement prevention and education programs and develop and strengthen campus security and investigations to prevent, prosecute and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking on STCC," a statement released on Thursday by the college said.

The presidents of Springfield Technical Community College and Westfield State University put pen to paper Tuesday, forging a partnership aimed at producing more highly skilled nurses. Under the agreement, graduates of STCC's associate's degree-level registered nurse (RN) program will be able to transfer up to 90 course credits to Westfield State's bachelor's degree program and obtain their final 30 credits through online and on-campus classes. While the two institutions already had a working relationship, the new hybrid program takes the partnership to a new level, said Westfield State President Ramon S. Torrecilha.

The governor visited the city as part of the "Go Higher!" series, a state-sponsored program bringing college students and admissions officers to school districts across the state. "These are big decisions and between the state's Commonwealth Commitment and a lot of the scholarships and grants out there, if kids work with people on this they can make decisions that work for them academically and financially," Baker said. The Commonwealth Commitment program offers a 10 percent tuition discount and a guaranteed transfer of credit to students who maintain a 3.00 GPA at a Massachusetts community college and then transfer ...

American International College has purchased a now-vacant strip mall and car wash and nearly a half-acre of land adjacent to its campus for $375,000. The transaction was recorded at the Hampden County Registry Of Deeds on Sept. 19. The building at 1081-1095 State St., the corner of State and Reed streets, recently was home to Dad's Variety and other businesses. Dad's Variety closed in August, according to Facebook posts.

Greenfield Community College has received funding from UMass Medical School to offer a free 25-hour training to help interested students enter this rewarding and well-paying field in order to address the urgent need for Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) PCAs help people of all ages with disabilities to live independently by helping them with everyday tasks such as dressing, grooming, housekeeping, shopping, and cooking. At this information session, students will learn more about the field and the free training at GCC in November, and will have the opportunity to apply for the training. (The training will be held on Nov. 1 ...

Construction students at Roger L. Putnam Vocational Technical Academy will get some real-world training and experience at the site of the $950 million MGM Springfield casino under an agreement signed Friday. "We are going to extend the classroom into the construction site and make it a laboratory for our students," said David M. Cruise, president and CEO of the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. "This is a great way to prepare our students for jobs, jobs that are in demand right now."

Charter schools across Massachusetts will receive a big boost in funding thanks to a federal grant program. The U.S. Department of Education announced Thursday that the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education will receive $15,876,000 over three years. The federal funds are earmarked to support opening new charter schools, strengthening accountability for charter school performance and sharing best practices between charters across the state. Massachusetts is one of eight states across the country to receive such funds.

Springfield College was honored last week at the sixth annual President's Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge gathering, where the private institution received the Presidential Award in Education. The event, which took place in Washington, D.C., recognized Springfield College for its dedication to volunteerism and service-learning education. "Community service programs are an integral part of campus life at Springfield College, to prepare students for lives as active citizens and community leaders in service to humanity," Springfield College President Mary-Beth Cooper said in a press release. "To be named a Presidential Award winner is a tremendous honor, and it ...

The School Department will use a $500,000 state grant to enhance training of students enrolled in manufacturing technology and aviation technology at Westfield Technical Academy. Superintendent of Schools Stefan Czaporowski said Wednesday the Massachusetts Workforce Training grant announced last week will be equally divided among the two vocational programs. Funding will enhance the training of at least 16 students enrolled in each program.

In the span of one year, STEM Middle Academy has gone from being labeled a Level 4 "underperforming" school by state education officials to being considered one of the best in the state. This was one of several pieces of positive news for the city shared by Massachusetts education officials Monday. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released 2016 assessment data regarding the 1,604 schools across the state.

Westfield State University will launch its fall Guest Lecture Series Wednesday with 'An Evening of Poetry' with Keith Leonard, class of 2008, from 5 to 6 p.m. in the Loughman Living Room at Scanlon Hall. That will be followed Oct. 5 with a 'Why I Go to the Olympics' lecture by Dr. Amy Bass at 7 p.m. on Dever Stage at the Parenzo Hall.

Springfield College and Berkshire Community College announced an agreement this week that will allow Berkshire Community College physical fitness graduates to transfer to Springfield College's Applied Exercise Science Program with junior standing.

The head of a Springfield-based education foundation has been reappointed to a state board overseeing early education in Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker reappointed Mary Walachy, executive director of the The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation in Springfield, to the Massachusetts Board of Early Education and Care.

Holyoke Community College has been awarded a $127,741 Workforce Skills Capital Grant to purchase equipment for its EMT Training Program. The grant, announced this week by the governor's office, will allow HCC to expand the number of students served in its non-credit EMT classes and offer new training equipment and materials at the college's new Center for Health Education, adjacent to the main campus on Jarvis Avenue. HCC was one of seven community colleges, vocational high schools and educational collaboratives chosen to share in a total funding package worth $2.6 million.

Western New England University plans to construct a new 70,000-square-foot, four-story dining commons adjacent to the existing St. Germain Campus Center on its Springfield campus. A ceremonial groundbreaking is set for noon on Sept. 27 on the green between the campus center and Sleith Hall, according to a news release. Western New England University is not yet saying how much the building will cost, said spokesman Brian Zelasko. The private school's board of trustees recently asked designers to make the building bigger and a new cost estimate is not ready for the public, he said.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Partners for Community Action and Harmon Personnel Services are inviting veterans to participate in a job fair on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at the Springfield Partners office, 721 State St.

The "Veterans Work First" job fair is from 10 a.m. to noon. The organizers are inviting all veterans and active duty personnel to take part for career placement services.

Westfield State University has received a $157,924 state grant to help fund continuation of its Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment Initiative Program. The grant helps finance tuition, books, materials, salary for a coordinator and employment specialist and additional programming needs. The program provides dual enrollment opportunities for students ages 18 - 21 that have intellectual disabilities and are still receiving special educations services through their home school districts. The program was implemented at WSU in the 2013 fall semester by Program Coordinator Lyndsey Nunes with just five students. It has since grown into one of the largest such programs in the state ...

University of Massachusetts and state officials will host a ceremonial groundbreaking Friday on a $62 million Business Innovation Hub building to be added to the existing buildings of the Isenberg School of Management. Site work for the project has already begun, according to UMass' website. Construction is expected to be complete in September 2018, and the building will be ready for occupancy in January 2019. The project will add 70,000 square feet of classrooms, labs, an expanded career center, advising spaces and a learning commons. There will be more faculty offices as well, according to a news release.